1028 Report of State Geologist. 



location, containing five of the owner's eggs and two of the Cowbird. 

 I have a young bird not able to fly that was taken near Greencastle. 

 It very probably breeds wherever it is found in the State. 



In 1886 I found young, July 1, at Brookville. The song very much 

 resembles that of the Chipping Sparrow (S. socialis), and to the 

 casual listener is not distinguishable from that bird. It is well to 

 remember that whenever one hears the song of a "Chippy" in our 

 denser woods it is not that bird, but a Worm-eating Warbler. Its 

 song ceases about the middle of July. After it ceases singing and the 

 young are able to care for themselves, they begin to leave. Their 

 numbers keep on growing less and less until the last are usually gone 

 late in August. 



The Test brothers have found it at Lafayette as late as August 2-1, 

 1896, and I observed it at Brookville September 3, 1883. Its name 

 has been given it from its habit of eating worms. It is a diligent 

 searcher after grubs and other larvae under the bark and among the 

 decaying wood of limbs, fallen trees, rotting logs and other forest 

 wreckage found lying upon the ground. The site of a "mud fall" is 

 a favorite spot with them. And they are not averse to catching the 

 insects along any old worm fence that passes through the woods. If 

 one keeps quiet they are willing to come quite near to him, even upon 

 the same log he is using for a seat. They move by hops, and I am 

 always thinking of the motions of a Black and White Warbler as I see 

 them, now going along a log and then going around it and under it, 

 often when it would seem the hole was too small to permit the bird's 

 body to pass through. They are very diligent and keep occupied all 

 day long, but the time of greatest activity is in the morning and 

 evening. When disturbed it often flies into a bush or even from 

 twenty to forty feet up in a tree, and after a period of quiet waiting, 

 during which it remains motionless, if nothing further disturbs it, 

 the rattling, chipping song is uttered again and again. Presently it 

 ceases and flies to its former hunting ground, uttering several vigor- 

 ous, sharp "tchips," which very much resemble the call-note of the 

 Oven Bird. 



156. Genus HELMINTHOPHILA Ridgway. 



a^. Wing varied with wliite and yellow. 



h^. Wing witli large yellow patch ; beneath not yellow. 



H. pinus (Linn. ). 257 

 b-. Wing with two white hands; iieneath bright yellow. 



H. chrysoptera (Linn.). 258 

 a-. Wing not varied. 



r'. Under tail coverts and more or less of under parts yellow. 



rf'. Under parts i)righl yellow. H. ruficapilla (Wils.). 259 



